Haste Makes Mistakes
by AYangThang
Summary: After falling into a dark black pool of Grimm's essence, Ruby struggles to find herself, and rebuild herself from the ground up, making many mistakes along the way. Ruby/Oobleck, Glynda/Ozpin, Yang/Blake...eventual Yang/Blake/Weiss... (Written on the fly with a group of non-writing buddies. 15 short chapters).
1. Chapter 1

**Haste Makes Mistakes **

Ruby's breath rattled as she came down from the heights of orgasm, her head falling onto the shoulder of the man she had just given herself to. It was so goddamn wrong, or so she felt in the clarity of the aftermath, but she hadn't felt that way before or during the act itself. She could still feel his hands resting on her hips, palms sweaty. his glasses were askew, green hair sticking up in all directions.

She swallowed hard, still feeling his manhood where it mattered most, softening after their impromptu romp in his dwellings.

"Ruby, are you alright?" He breathed, realizing fully and completely that taking the young woman's virtue from her was a grave responsibility. Especially when that woman was one such as Ruby Rose.

She nodded. "I'm fine." She said slowly, trying to catch her breath. "I'm better than fine, actually, I just…" She didn't dare finish that sentence. Finally pulling up and off of him, a sore feeling gathering at the apex of her legs. "I just didn't think we'd get this far." She said, laying down at his side as he pulled the blankets up and over the both of them.

"I didn't plan it, either." He replied, fixing his glasses if only so that he could see her clearly. "If anything, this was the furthest thing from what I might have expected. I never once assumed that it was a possibility."

He didn't mention the matter lightly, either.

He had first encountered Ruby in person as a student, one with far too much potential at such an early age. He feared for her, yet trusted Ozpin. Inwardly, he'd felt that she was not yet ready for the complications of Beacon, wondered idly if she knew just what she was getting into. Feared it might not be for the best. It had troubled him a great deal, at one time.

After all, they'd all covertly looked in on the Xiao Long family over the years. Speaking with the girl's father, and wishing the household well. They all knew of Ruby's exuberance, her desire to be a huntress. The innocence in her, at war with the obvious future placed in front of her. Yet, Ozpin had spoken, the girl would be trained by Beacon staff.

So, he treated her as a student, instilled within her what he could, hoping it would be enough. That he wouldn't have to bury her under the weight of history.

Still, he was only human, and he had seen enough of the threat looming overhead. So, upon her graduation he wished her well in her chosen field, closed his eyes to the murmurs in the back of his mind. That she still wasn't ready, that Ruby Rose, much like her mother, would never be truly ready. Not face the horrors of their job, and or the whispers of the hell left behind. That in spite of her skill, and her eyes, her soul was something much more fragile.

Months had passed since he had last laid eyes on Ruby Rose, but that she had run to him was enough to prove how terrified she was.

Of what, he still wasn't sure. He hadn't been able to ask.

"How do you do it?" She asked him. "How do you go out there and…" She closed her mouth. There was no words for it.

"I don't." He sighed. "I train others to do it for me."

"That town, there was no saving it. Nothing I could have done."

"It happens. You cannot save everyone, that's just the way of it."

"Yeah, but when you can't even save a single person-"

"You learn to save yourself." Bartholomew interrupted gently. "This is not an easy path. Although I don't air this to students, I'll speak it to you now. The lives we lead are nothing but one failure after another. It cannot help but be so. Therefore, we take every ounce of pleasure in our victories, allowing ourselves what little comforts we can in our efforts…and when we fail, Ruby, we must know that many times…many, many times, it is out of our hands."

Ruby said nothing to this, her eyes closing as she heard the man's heart beating in his chest. She hadn't meant to throw herself at him. She hadn't even been in her right mind, but that aside, she had insisted. She had pressed for it, because somewhere in her deeper consciousness, she needed to feel something else. Needed the madness lingering in her mind to go away.

The feel of claws against her back, teeth at her neck, feathers between her finger tips…all of the touches of Grimm, she had needed them as far away from her being as possible. So she had thrown herself at the touch of a human, because that was the quick fix. The easy solution.

It wasn't the first time she had heard of hunters and huntresses doing such a thing. In fact, there were classes dedicated to the psychology of a hunter in the midst of battle, the rationale that may or may not cloud their judgments. The textbooks spoke of moments like this. Glynda Goodwitch had spent hours working with each of the female students preparing them for the uncomfortable prospect of feeling lust after battle, and the darkness within every Grimm.

If she were honest, Ruby knew one day it would come to something like this. She just didn't know it would be so soon. Either way, she didn't regret it.

"I'm so tired." She sighed at length.

"Then you should rest."

"I can't."

"You must."

Leveraging herself from the blankets she turned away, one arm lifting up to cover her breasts, although the point was moot. "Every time I close my eyes, everything's right there. All over again. I don't want to sleep, I don't want that nightmare."

Reaching for her, he yanked her back down into the sheets and held her close. "Nightmare or not, Ruby, it's your life. You have no choice but to live it."

* * *

 **AYangThang:** This was born out of 6 hours of boredom last night with a few friends when we started partying before the RWBY Vol 5 premier last night. This is the result of that. For those of you who didn't go to a theater to see the start of Vol 5, it was so good, you all will love it. Honestly, I just can't wait for Saturday to watch it again. In the meantime though, please enjoy this little slice of insanity...multi-chaptered.


	2. Chapter 2

She had fallen asleep in his arms, lulled by his soft breath and warm embrace. When she woke, his bed was empty but a thermos of hot cholate sat on the coffee table, still steaming. A glance at the clock told her all she needed to know. Class was in session, and unlike most Beacon faculty, he insisted on lecturing more often than not. He invested himself in everything he did, and his desire to be a hunter was one thing that Ruby had always admired.

Rubbing her face, she checked her scroll only to see two messages waiting there. One was from Goodwitch, and the other was from Yang. She replied to the latter, saying that her mission was done, but she didn't say anything else. There was nothing else to say in the span of a text message. To the former she didn't reply at all. Glynda had only sent instructions to come to her office, but the reason why eluded Ruby.

Dressing herself and schooling her hair into some manageable mop atop her head, she made a beeline to the blonde woman's office. It was there that she found Glynda hunched over a terminal, tapping away at several keys as she input a whole new series of information. "Come in Ruby, have a seat."

"I'd rather stand, if that's okay…"

Glynda sighed. "I'd rather you didn't." The woman said closing down her work. "Sit down, please. This will take longer than a few moments." She reached into the drawer of her desk, grabbing a bottle of pills and a bottle of water. Pulling only one from the bottle she slid it across the desk, the water following soon after. "Furthermore, I would advise you swallow that."

"What is it?" Ruby asked. "I hope you know I don't just blindly swallow pills. Not even from my own sister, let alone my friends."

Glynda set her jaw. "Hunters and huntresses under Ozpin's employ have more liberties with their bodies than others. What you do is up to you, but, I don't think I have to tell you that unprotected sex can have consequences."

"He told you!?"

"You told me." Glynda shot back quickly. "More accurately your tracking device did."

Ruby's eyes went wide as her fingers lifted to the back of her neck, where a little lump rested under her skin. She had forgotten about it. She was supposed to get it removed as soon as she got back from her mission, but the thought that it was there completely slipped her mind. "Shit…"

"That tracking device is able to send instant readouts on your aura level. More importantly, it alerts my scroll as soon as someone else's aura, or unknown material enters your body." She then leveled her gaze. "Imagine my surprise when Oobleck's own aura chimes on the readouts."

"I…" Ruby looked away then. "I was burned pretty badly…" Ruby said as she grabbed the morning-after pill and the bottle of water, swallowing both.

"You don't have to give me the details, Ruby. I know you stayed with him, but that is all I know." Glynda licked her lips then. "However, I jump to conclusions because you and I are very similar. It takes quite a bit to turn our stomachs. I'd imagine it would take something insurmountable to send you running back to Beacon and into the arms of another."

"I was…knocked into a Grimm's pool. It felt like a tar pit, but worse."

"You what?" Glynda asked removing her glasses.

It was no small admission, and the damages it could have done were completely incalculable. Few humans could survive falling into one, where the lost souls of angry Grimm lingered before crawling out to do damage on the world. Unlike the Grimm, the pits themselves were rare sights, very little were known about the properties held deep within.

"I was tracking down another one of those stupid nevermore from the mountains. A bunch of people in the village were complaining about the population. 'Bastards have been reproducing in droves' was the headman's exact phrasing. It sounded like there was a nest, so on my way back from the mission, I detoured. It wasn't a nest though, it was a series of pools. The best I could do was blast the hole in the cave shut…but…I slipped…things get…hazy after that."

There was one common truth to be held about those Grimm's pools. Everyone who fell into a pit had been changed in some inexplicable way. Some records recounted that survivors became unhinged from reality, brutally unstable. Others sunk deep into depression, finding nothing but hopelessness in their profession and livelihood. A hand full of people faded entirely from existence, falling into the murky darkness never to be dragged out or seen from again.

"You must have gotten out somehow."

"I was dragged out."

"By who?"

"I don't know." Ruby murmured, shivering as she thought back. "I can feel the Grimm crawling on me." She said sickly, swallowing back a mouth full of bile at the thought. "It's like they're under my skin, I just…" She had no other words. Couldn't find them last night, and couldn't discover them now. She dragged her gaze up to meet Glynda's own. She stood from her chair crossing the room to grab Glynda's hand, placing it against her skin. "You can feel them, can't you?"

"No, I'm sorry, I can't."

"Like bugs." Ruby described. "Thousands of them just…skittering…there."

"Ruby, I can't feel anything."

"But they're all over!"

Understanding smacked into Glynda like a ton of bricks, and her aura flared knowingly around the younger woman. "Ruby Rose, there are no Grimm on you. I doubt any could survive inside of you. You are not the sort of person who even maintains such negative qualities." Still, Ruby looked relaxed now, at peace for the first time since she had even stepped into the room.

Glynda wondered just what Ruby's experience with those pools had been. Retracting her aura, Ruby staggered limply, and Glynda caught her. "Come along now, we have to get you to Ozpin. Perhaps he will know what to do."


	3. Chapter 3

As the headmaster of Beacon academy, Ozpin had seen a great deal of confusing things in his life. There were times he had no words, and humanity, strange as it was, could still leave him with more questions than answers. For all that he was, Ozpin was not an omnipotent man. Some days, he even hesitated to trust his instinct as the days passed him by.

He was, however, very experienced in the mystical ways of Grimm's pools. They were ageless, much like he was, in a way.

He lifted his mug to his lips. It was an unfortunate occurrence, but he knew Ruby quite well. He judged her as a huntress not to be outdone by even such a terrifying thing. He could only hope his thoughts rang true. "Ms. Rose, these complaints of yours are not unheard of." Ozpin replied as he looked at the girl, and to him, that was merely what she was. His consciousness spanned far too long for him to think of her as anything more than a child.

"Well, what am I supposed to do about it?" she asked with a pout.

"Endure, as those before you have done." He murmured thoughtfully. "Do so, and recover properly." Yes, she Summer's flesh and blood. He would expect no less of Ruby's abilities. Perhaps he was being unfair, but so be it. "In fact, you are not the first of your family to trip into a Grimm's pool."

"Ozpin!"

"She has a right to know." The man said to the blonde haired woman in front of him.

"Falling into Grimm pools runs in my family?" Ruby asked, squinting at Ozpin as though he lost his mind.

"Well, in a way..." Ozpin replied. "Qrow fell into a Grimm's Pool once. He and his sister both. Your mother had to unceremoniously drag them out. It was quite the ruckus."

"Grreeaaat." Ruby deadpanned, somehow not entirely surprised. "Well, he's got to be better now, how did he get over it?"

"He continues onward, just has he has always done. As for Raven, well, she has always held fast to her ideology. Darker in nature though it is. The fact of the matter is, Grimm Pools are tricky things, and human souls are trickier still. Seeking comfort from another aura user is not an unfair thing to seek." He sipped at his mug once more. "However, how far that comfort goes…" He trailed off.

"That's not very helpful." Ruby closed her eyes at that. "Even now, I can feel them. The Grimm. They're crawling on me again…"

"And I have every reason to believe that's not an overstatement." Ozpin replied. "You've connected with the very essence of Grimm. What they are, at their depth. If Grimm are to have any soul, any at all, it would linger down in those pools where hate itself is born and bred. Before the monsters we battle walk this land, they must originate from someplace. All beings must have some form of progenitor, and for the Grimm, I believe those pools to be it."

"Well if we don't get these things off me, I'm going to lose it!" The young woman protested, clutching at her red cloak. It had seen better days, but the rough fabric against her skin was her only comfort as she stood in place, shaking as the feeling became too much. "It's maddening."

"Glynda, if you would, please." Ozpin directed.

The blonde haired woman flared her aura around Ruby once more. The night and day difference could be seen on Ruby's features, from repressed pain to soothed exhaustion, she left no question that the Grimm were indeed ailing her. "We cannot have someone standing around doing this for every waking moment of our lives. We might as well stop beating around the bush and start asking the real questions around here."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby, we discussed this while you were a student. Some Grimm are capable of doing very questionable things to the human body. They're manipulative creatures." Glynda looked over at Ozpin, seeing him nod. "However, human souls are manipulative too, in other ways. They reason you're not feeling the Grimm upon you right now, is because my influence overcomes whatever it is that you're feeling. We don't know how, and we don't know why, but we do know that when a human falls into a Grimm's pool, they have a hard time maintaining their own aura."

"And those without an aura at all, are kin to the Grimm." Ozpin replied. "You are human though, and you do have one. Although yours seems poisoned by the pool, it will recover in time. However, until then, I wouldn't be surprised if you were drawn to those with aura. As I said before, it's not an unfair thing to seek. You're human, it's only in your nature to have an aura's guidance. Human aura flairs strongest when pushed to emotion."

"Some hunters choose to deal with their recovery on their own, without the aid of others." Glynda explained. "Others surround themselves with as much aura as the can, hoping it will help them recover quickly. There is no easy answer to this predicament, Ruby, and aura is not limitless in supply. When mine drains out of me completely, it will take time for me to replenish it, and in that time, you will crave more."

"So what do I do now?" Ruby asked.

"Whatever you must." Ozpin replied. "If you need help, ask, and give your own aura time to heal."

* * *

"I just don't get it." Yang sighed, flopping down on the mattress. "Where was she all night? Her scroll says she's in Beacon, but why would she be there? If she were hurt, someone would have called and told us, and she did respond to my text, but damn. Talk about being flighty."

"Pot meet kettle."

"Blake, I mean it." Yang said, lifting her gaze from her pillow.

"So do I." Blake said, turning the page in one of her new books, the page white, crisp, and clean. Just perfect for reading. "Leave her alone."

"What the heck is going on with her? First her solo mission gets extended, then she ends up at beacon and doesn't come home…"

Blake rolled her eyes, closing her book and setting it off to the side. "Yang, if her mission ran long, her report could have run longer. She probably stayed at the faculty dorms and planned to issue her report today. If so, she'll be home by dinner."

"That little chatter mouth would have said that, then." Yang said thoughtfully. "Something's got to be up."

"Yang, drop it." Blake implored, her fingers tangling themselves in Yang's hair. "If something was wrong with Ruby, we would have been informed."

"You trying to start something?"

Blake raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "That depends, if such a 'something' will not include worrying about your sister." She tightened her hold on Yang's hair, careful not to pull on those tresses as she leaned down and kissed her. "I'm sure you'd rather think about something else, anyway."

It was just in that instant that Yang's scroll rang. The headmaster of beacon sending a text. His name glaring across her scroll in bright letters. Grabbing it so tightly that it creaked under her grip, she flipped it open to read the message. Ozpin was ordering their team to come to Beacon as soon as they were able. "See!" Yang ranted as she flung herself off of the king sized bed crammed into the corner of the room. "I told you something was wrong!"

"Nothing is wrong, Yang." Blake ranted. "It says it concerns Ruby, not that she's in any danger."

"It says she's 'more or less fine' Blake." Yang shot back, getting dressed in her combat outfit record time just in case. "That means something fucking happened."

"And we will find out what it is, Yang." Blake pressed with no small amount of exasperation. She dressed for battle readiness too, as was customary with meeting with the man to issue them their missions. They could be deployed from his sight at any time, it was simply protocol. Even so, Blake felt edgy just watching Yang get into her gear. "Would you stop, now you're freaking me out. Just take a second to breathe, and we'll figure this out."

"Let's just haul ass and go." Yang said, dragging her partner out of the door, slamming their apartment shut behind them.

With Weiss away on her own mission, Yang and Blake hurried to Beacon, the former doing everything in her power to speed things along. It was a sight to behold, the way her hair sparked and crackled under her repressed emotion. Blake was much calmer. Ozpin hadn't indicated the need to be in such a hurry, and she didn't see the need in upheaving half of Vale simply to reach the airships headed for Beacon.

Eventually, they arrived, with Yang rushing through the courtyard and through the halls, cursing the elevator to Ozpin's office for the long and slow travel upward. Blake continued biting her tongue to keep from quipping at her girlfriend. Now was not the time to be snippy at Yang, even though she felt as if the blonde deserved it.


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby thought it best to be put into isolation and so Ozpin gave her a special room in the faculty unit of the school. Locking her in from the outside, Glynda promised to keep watch over her. Less than an hour into the plan, Ruby could already feel herself starting to crack.

Some hunters didn't have the wealth of aura that Glynda had. Oobleck's had been drained rather quickly after he had used it to heal Ruby's burns, but to see the combat instructor drain so quickly seemed impossible to Ruby. She tried to manage on her own after that, but her mind was starting to get hazy again. The world around her began to blur, and she felt annoyed at herself, and angry at nothing.

Thinking she might be hungry, she ate a quick but nourishing lunch, which only served to annoy her more when the idea didn't work.

The feeling of the Grimm were sinking under her skin yet again, and she had to resist the urge to try and drag them out. If Ozpin was right, that wouldn't work anyway, because the Grimm weren't really there. She doused herself in a cold shower, then ravenously ate two boxes of cookies. The entire time, her eyes watched the clock. Her nerves were alight with things unknown to her, emotions twisting within in a way she didn't have enough experience with.

Then after a long time, her palms became sweaty, and she felt the throb and pangs of arousal. Desire and hunger clawed deeper sill, and she thought back to Ozpin's words. She doubted craving sex and craving aura were the same things, but she felt the desire now more than ever. Whatever it was, it dug into her, and she forced out a harsh breath.

"Ruby." Glynda spoke from the speaker into the open room. "Are you alright?"

"I can't take it." Ruby murmured, wrapping herself in the Blanket and rolling around, trying to find relief from the sensations. "They won't go away."

"It's to be expected. Isolation is not an easy choice. Honestly, I'm surprised that's the route you want to go with." Glynda sighed. "You sister and Blake Belladonna from your team have arrived to Beacon, they are being informed of your condition as we speak. Ozpin has chosen to omit some of the...personal...details."

"How long is this going to last?" Ruby croaked out from betwixt the tears slipping from her eyes.

"We don't know." Glynda murmured.

"I can't do this." Ruby's voice shook. "I can't take it. I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't."

Glynda flung the door open, and entered inside grabbing ahold of the bundled young woman who shook so violently in her arms. "You can Ruby, you must."

* * *

Yang watched from a silent video feed as her sister initiated a kiss with Glynda, silver eyes wild and untamed. "That's not my sister. Lookalike, maybe, but Ruby would never do something like that." Yang said, swallowing back the hard truth put in front of her. "She doesn't lose herself like that, and she's not the kind of person to go around kissing people."

"Physical touch can ease the symptoms." Ozpin said slowly from behind his desk. "She could have launched herself like that at anyone, even you." He watched Ruby push away almost violently, as if she just realized what she had done. "I assure you, that is your sister."

The fear in Ruby's eyes seemed at war with something else. Her expression a twisted mix of the thoughts running through her head. Though they couldn't hear the conversion, they watched as Glynda reached forward, as if offering the invitation to continue. Ruby obviously denied the request, zipping into the bathroom at to speed, slamming the door behind her.

"That's Ruby alright." Blake deadpanned.

"Who would have guessed something like this would happen to her…" Yang said, her voice thick with emotion.

"We've contacted someone with firsthand experience in this matter. Your uncle, to be exact." Ozpin turned off the video, entrusting the situation completely to Glynda. "He's away right now. Even if he were to return, there's no cure for this. Only time, and in some cases a great deal of it. His only advice was to support her, by any means, in any way we can."

"I just need to give her my aura, right?" Yang bit out. "That's it, I just channel it into her?"

"Until it depletes." Ozpin nodded. "However even so, time is the only answer for this. You cannot mend her aura. It must repair itself. In the meantime, her soul has been damaged by the Grimm, and in some ways it may never return to normal. Once her own aura is up and running however, then we can to begin to treat whatever lingering symptoms remain as we find them. Until then, she's going to crave that which she does not have, just like Grimm do."

"Yang, maybe you shouldn't go near Ruby right now…" Blake trailed off. "If she's acting like that, maybe she doesn't want us here."

"I don't see why the hell not."

Golden eyes leveled on the woman, a knowing stare reflected there. "Do you remember the first time I went into heat? Remember what that was like?" Blake shot back, shaking her head then, not wanting to think of it herself. "Know what's worse? That's natural, completely biological, and I knew. I was prepared. If this is anything like that at all, she's not thinking straight."

Yang bit her lip hard, chewing on that thought long and hard. "I don't give a damn. What room number is she in? I want to go see her."

"I'm afraid I cannot give you that information." Ozpin said as he folded his hands neatly on his desk. "Ruby asked to be kept away from those currently uninvolved with this matter. She has been informed that you've been contacted. She can ask for your support at any time. I hope that you will respect her choice at this time."

At this, yang felt her whole body sag under the weight of that implication. "Ruby's really sick, isn't she?"

"This is not an illness, Ms. Xiao Long. Merely a change in her usual condition." Ozpin hoped he was being reassuring, but he could tell that his words were doing nothing to sooth Yang's ire. "Still, the matter is delicate, and I ask that you treat it with the due diligence and respect that it deserves."

* * *

Glynda felt her heart ache for the woman on the other side of the door, likely letting control of her mind slip through her fingers. Although Ruby was in no immediate danger due to her condition, she was also in no right of mind. Sanity was a slippery slope, emotions a precipice that one could fall into accidentally. She had been trying to coax Ruby out of hiding, to soothe the obvious unease weighing her down.

However, Ruby didn't want to face Glynda, could even dare look her in the eye, and wouldn't to open the door.

Glynda made a call to Bartholomew Oobleck, explaining to him what she knew, and demanding he come at least attempt to see to this matter. In her words, it was the least he could do after staying with Ruby last night. He sensed a bit of vitriol in her statements, not to mention the mounting frustration that Ruby's refusals provided. As soon as he was able, he came to the aid of his former student once more, finding the scene no different than what Glynda had described.

"It took you long enough." Glynda barked at him.

"Given the events of last night, I thought I ought to be properly prepared." He replied, holding a bad from the nearby Beacon shop, setting it off to the side.

"Don't you think it's a little wrong to be sharing relations with one of your former students?"

"Any more wrong than you sharing relations with the headmaster?" The speckled man responded, removing his tie and setting it aside, least he be strangled by it.

"The difference is in our state of mind, Bart." Glynda told him with a shake of her head. "I thought you of all people would respect that distance."

"It isn't as if I'm going to encourage the matter. Yet to deny her could be catastrophic." He replied averting his gaze at the more thought. "She's one of us now, part of Ozpin's fold. The man puts a great deal of respect into her, it's only obvious to conclude that we must do the same. She's a young huntress, yes, but no less capable. Her abilities have never been our concern, and you know this well."

"Which is exactly why I worry as much as I do." Glynda warned, finger outstretched in her lecture.

"You know I do as well." He murmured softly.

"Be that as it may, be careful with her." Glynda didn't need to make an open threat, it was clear as day. "Her legacy far outshines you and I, we're expendable compared to the silver eyed warriors. There are so few who know of their powers in battle, fewer still trained to slay Grimm. Do not break her heart, it is far too fragile, especially now."


	5. Chapter 5

**AYangThang:** Sorry these following chapters took some time to fix. They were written after several drinks had been consumed into the night, and needed a bit of cleanup….okay, a crap ton of clean up, but still.

* * *

Ruby clung to his comforts, his ideology steadfast in the wake of everything she had come to question. Both about herself and the profession she had chosen. Perhaps it was the wrong thing to do, it was very questionable indeed. She couldn't defend her actions on the basis of unsound logics and madness. She couldn't call it an emotional divergence, either. If someone were to ask her if she loved this man, the answer would unquestionably be, no, she didn't.

She didn't love him, but she did respect him.

Her mind shoved aside the implication of judgement that would surely be handed to her. There was no excuse, she wouldn't make one, even if riding him into oblivion made for little more than moment of silence for the buzzing in her mind. The self-doubt trying to drown her had to be released somehow. She was a young huntress though, too green to really put into perspective everything that was going on with her feelings on the matter, complicated as they were.

Even just watching him peel away the condom in the aftermath twisted a sickening realization in her gut.

The understanding clutched at her. He was, in fact, a much older man. Truth be told, although Bartholomew didn't look it, he was slightly older than her father. There was a power difference shared between them, and she was, at least in some way, still his subordinate.

He was young by a faculty standard, sure, but as a member of Beacon's staff, he was also a prodigy among his peers. This realization was made worse when Ruby stopped to remember that Beacon was not like other combat schools. It was among one the towering giants of power and authority within the kingdom.

Bartholomew Oobleck was among those standing in authority. Ruby might have been a hunter also employed by Beacon, but she didn't have the experience, credentials, or even the desire to stand on his level. She didn't want the sort of heavy handed obligation that came with being in the limelight. It wasn't only the people of Vale that looked upon Beacon after all. No, all of the kingdom's had their eye on the members there, and though Ruby was an authority among her own peers, she would never stand among the greatness that was Beacon Academy's faculty.

Truth be told, she didn't want to stand among them, either.

So, knowing all of that, and then watching him clean himself up, was upsetting. She didn't want to become a mother this early in her life, and that was a fact. She didn't want to risk her place as a huntress for the idea of romance either, and that was true too. Looking at him though, watching as he slid on his underwear over his softening member, she was conflicted.

She couldn't stop herself from being so.

Why would he allow her such a carnal release, when it was obvious that he had no intention of seeking something more romantic for the cause? The question was an unsettling one, but it all bubbled into one very simple, and yet burdensome word.

"Why?" It leaked out of her mouth before she could stop it, weakness and shame settling over her voice.

Oobleck frowned at this, his back turned to her as he resumed getting dressed. He had always admired her inquisitive nature, fed her questions with zeal, because he knew she genuinely absorbed any and all information he would offer. Yet, this time, her questions were ones he dreaded. He bit his lip as he toyed quickly with his response. Feeling as though he could not afford her anything beyond the bodily comfort of raw sex that exuded from their time spent behind closed doors.

After all, what they shared certainly wasn't lovemaking.

"Why not?" He murmured back. "Don't tell me you've begun to criticize the matter now, in the aftermath." Cruel, perhaps, but not unkind. He had to draw the line in the sand someplace. Glynda had been right about that. "You're an attractive young woman, Ruby. Any man in his right mind would be a fool to turn you away." He continued to get dressed, hating himself for his own words, but it was too late to erase them now. "I would suggest you keep that in mind when you go around offering your body, as you do."

Ruby shook her head. "No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Oobleck asked, cursing himself as he did so. He shouldn't have asked. Should have left the room, and given her a cold, hard lesson about the dependability of men in the profession. He owed it to her, to teach the girl why it wasn't a good idea to give into such vices…but something kept him there, glued him to his place.

"You came back…"

This made him turn to face her.

"You didn't have to help me again." Ruby told him, as she looked up into his eyes. "You didn't need to, but, you did." She shrugged as she pulled her legs up and put her arms around herself. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around that."

"And how do you know I'm not just being selfish?"

"You're not that kind of guy…" She said honestly.

Truthfully, he was relieved she believed that. He did try to be a good person, desires and human condition be damned. He always put his job first, looked after those he cared for and trusted, protected the population at large. He wanted to be seen as the sort of person deserving of respect. Even so, he pushed the compliment back. "How do you know I'm not just after your body?"

"Are you really going there?" Ruby asked, obviously confused. "With me of all people? Come on, this is Beacon. If you wanted someone for their body, there are easier people. There are some girls that are way better looking than me. There's no way you could be that hard up." She smirked then, almost darkly. "We're hunters."

He sighed deeply at that line. "So we are."

"And you are not like some of the people I've come across." Ruby continued, looking back down at the sheets. "I won't say that I don't make an easy target…or that we should keep doing this…but, I won't say I want to stop, either. I like what we've done…it might not mean anything huge or life changing, but, isn't that a good thing? Isn't that normal?"

Oobleck sighed. For hunters it was. It was the way of life almost every hunter would come to understand. "Ruby…"

"Maybe I should have saved my body for love…maybe I shouldn't be having sex with you." Ruby said to him softly. "I don't think there's room in my life for the normal kinds of justification, either. If being with you makes me feel just a little more human…a little more normal…then I think that's enough of a reason. I don't know if that's a good rationality or not, but that's what I've been thinking…"

The road could do terrible things to the mind, body, and soul. It could empty a person of empathy, and turn them into a vagabond no less deranged than the Grimm they swore to slay. Even her own father, loving as a man as he was, was not remiss for his actions. Her own life, and Yang's for that matter, were proof enough of the lifestyle that a hunter would be destined to lead. All of her father's old team remained as an echo of that destiny.

There was no solace in ideology alone.

Oobleck knew it, too. "What do you want me to do?" He sighed tiredly.

"I don't know…so, do whatever you want, I guess." Ruby said, her voice wavering. "I just…don't want to be alone."

He was torn in that instant, her despondency being what it was, striking a deep chord in him. He made his way back over to the edge of the bed and sat there, taking her hand in his own. The small gesture was all he could manage as Glynda's words echoed in his head.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a terrible habit, but it was her habit, passed down by the Branwen line. Alcoholism was not the vice that it was for her uncle, or her mother. Still, it was her escape, and even though she didn't spend the entirety of her life blasted, there were some das she wanted to. There were some days she did, and this day was going to be one of them. Even Blake could see it as she sat by Yang's side. A support and a willing voice of reason when she knew that soon, her girlfriend would not be.

It didn't make her happy to see Yang so lost, so confused, not to mention hurt. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do, so she resigned herself to sipping on a glass of juice, maintaining a clear head for the both of them.

Yang swigged deeply from the glass in her hand. Desperately, she tried to wrap her head around it all. Questions came to mind she didn't really want answers for. Then again, not having them seemed like a worse evil. Conflicted, and with a buzz to loosen her tongue, she found the strength within to do the right thing. Likely the stupid thing too, but she could clean up the damage later.

"So, Oobleck, huh…" She voiced slowly. "Didn't see that one coming."

Glynda nodded as she leaned back in the plush chair of her own office. "Trust me, I know. I didn't either, but, it's not the strangest thing I've seen in my time."

"But I mean…come on…he's like…" Yang wasn't sure. She had been drinking way too much, but that was the point. "There's no way…"

"Oh, don't be fooled by conjecture. I assure you, I saw more evidence of it than I would like." Glynda murmured, the blush on her face obviously that of her own tolerance to the booze, or the clear lack of it. "Although, I haven't been prying nearly as much as I should be. I know for a fact they shared sexual relations. What that implies, however, remains to be seen."

"Ruby's way younger than him though." Yang bristled. Her gut turned at the thought. "I've been with older guys before, but, holy hell."

"The age difference is quite pronounced, yes." Glynda agreed thoughtfully. "You're right that she's younger, but, she's an adult. It is her choice...and his, I suppose. Well, it's certainly not any of our business."

"I'd beg to differ on that. How could he let this happen?" Blake asked. "He should have told her no. He shouldn't be taking advantage of her."

"I…I said something close to that to him. I think now, I was wrong to say such a thing." Glynda sighed as she set her empty glass down, refilling both hers and Yang's with the open bottle that rested on the table. "Bartholomew is a gentle soul, a kind one. He is not the sort to shove his views onto others. Truth be told, perhaps because of his somewhat reclusive nature when it comes to social situations, he is easier to influence."

"Elaborate." Blake invited, seeing Yang's eyes gloss over at the implications.

"He is older than you, yes, but his youth among the seasoned hunters of Beacon's staff weighs heavily on him." Glynda replied, offering her musings aloud. "Perhaps in that way, Ruby is something of a kindred spirit."

"Yeah, about that, Ruby…she uh, made a pass at you." Yang said foggily. "Would you have…I mean, if she…" Yang shook her head. "Fuck, I can't even say it. I don't even want to think it."

"Would I have slept with her?" Glynda pondered aloud.

"Yeah, that."

"If she needed me, yes, I would have. She was not so far gone as to not realize what she was doing…" Glynda replied, still feeling the ghost of Ruby's lips pressing upon her own. "I wouldn't have minded, so long as it was left entirely at the physical level. Something I doubt Ruby would be capable of under normal circumstances."

"You got that right." Yang groused.

While Ruby was clearly inexperienced, it was not entirely unpleasant to have kissed her. There was something crisp and refreshing about Ruby's touch. Something Ozpin lacked as a lover. Glynda supposed that's what made the difference between a soul who had never truly experienced romantic love, and a soul like Ozpin's that had loved too many, and lost too much.

Glynda frowned at that, a little sad to make the connection. They were both, in their own ways, passionate people. The divide of age, gender, and outlook, fell flat under the thing that was so common about them both. "Ruby put a distance between us the moment she realized what was happening. I believe the thought of trusting me in such a state frightened her. She obviously wanted nothing to do with the idea. It was a relief to me, honestly."

"But, then she goes off and…with Oobleck." Yang crinkled her nose, and gave Glynda a long look. "Have they been a thing for a while?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"God damn, what's Ruby thinking?" Yang sighed.

"Never mind her." Blake protested. "There's a power dynamic here that I find questionable. What she's thinking, or even if she isn't thinking at all, isn't the primary issue. The question at hand that I have is this; if she is being influenced by whatever she fell into, can she even reasonably give consent to even having sex at all? If she was under the influence of anything else the answer would clearly be no."

"A valid point, and I believe in this case, you have to accept the moral grey area for what it is. Ruby Rose does have some agency, some clarity of thought." Glynda told Blake. "You must understand, Grimm Pools can cause some erratic emotions. Grimm do not have souls like we do. She's made it clear, she doesn't want anyone else to touch her in such a way, only him. I think that alone is enough to indicate clear and rational action on her behalf."

"And as for Oobleck?" Blake asked.

Glynda closed her eyes and sighed. "As for Oobleck…I cannot speak for him, but, being a huntress is a very lonely thing. I'm sure you can both understand that. Do you really think it's any different for a man? Do you really believe Bartholomew is only capable of being a huntsman? That he could only ever be teacher of Beacon, and that he cannot also desire something else in his life?"

"A dude can be a dude all he likes. I'd just kinda rather it not be my sister…" Yang grumbled.

"I doubt he wanted it that way either, Ms. Xiao Long." Glynda trailed off then, guilt clawing at her gut. "I doubt he wanted to think of her as a lover, but as this continues, I think he finds it hard not to open his heart up to her. Her personality is the sort that attracts him, she's earnest, gentle when she's able to be that way. Just like her mother, and I'd be lying if I said that I never noticed the feelings he often locked away in regards to that."

"Shit…" Yang grumbled.

Glynda mentally mirrored the sentiment. She should have kept a better eye on these girls, Ruby particularly. Yet even Yang Xiao Long had lacked a strong female influence in her life. Somewhat bitterly, Glynda felt partially to blame. She hadn't at least attempted to guide them better when they were still very young. She should have. "We've known you both since you were infants. You, particularly Yang, have a history in these walls. Raven gave birth to you right here on campus. The first two months of your life, you lived in Beacon before she graduated."

"Dad never told me that…"

"I suspect there is a great deal he doesn't. They were young, still children themselves, really. Oobleck was a teacher's assistant back then, shadowing Professor Port. That team was perhaps more troublesome than your own youthful endeavors...and that's saying something." Glynda lifted her eyes to Blake knowingly, and then over to Yang. "In any case, your family's history twists so deeply with our own, that it's hard to explain all of the ways Oobleck could feel guilty for even befriending Ruby at this point."

"How so?"

"It's hard to explain the details, but it goes back to before you were even born. Youthful idiocy had a great deal to do with it. Summer Rose and your own mother were different people then, too. To make matters worse, the pregnancy was difficult for Raven. It made her ill, her aura and semblance suffered for it. Furthermore, she struggled with the idea of keeping you, even then."

"Not very surprising." Yang groused.

"You might think me cold for saying this, but I urged her not to keep you. Due to her age, and personality, I personally thought she should carry you to term, and then put you up for adoption. She wanted to as well, but Tai refused. He fought all of us. Summer and Qrow insisted they would make things work and Raven trusted them." Glynda bit on her tongue, cutting the formality. "She tried, Yang. Perhaps not well, and perhaps to ultimately fail as I suspected she would…but she did try….furthermore, as much as you praise Summer, you don't recall her misgiving."

"Misgivings?" Yang parroted, confused.

Glynda shrugged, she wasn't about to speak ill of the dead. Still, a hard and true fact was plain and simple. She could elaborate a tiny bit. "Summer Rose wasn't the adult woman and successful huntress you knew her to be as you grew up. You were just a baby, Ruby wasn't even born yet. Summer was a student then, along with the rest of her team. For different reasons, Summer was just as unreliable as Raven at first...there were times, we as a faculty, had to step in and help them take care of you."

"Screw all of that, I don't care about that stuff right now. Tell me this…" Yang said as she awkwardly leaned forward to grab her glass and swig out of it, only to have Blake slipping it front her hands a moment later, cutting her off. "Do you think he'll take care of her?"

"I believe he will try." Glynda said, though it was clear that she wasn't completely sure of that, either. "I think that's truly all he can do…that any of us can do, at this point."

"Fine then, come on Blake. Let's piss off and come back in the morning." Yang said, pushing herself up from her chair only to fall over onto the floor.

"Yang!" Blake chastised as she went to go pick up her drunk lover off of the floor, inspecting her for any damages.

"Some things never change." Glynda murmured. "Take this, it's a key for the room across from Ruby's. I'd feel better about this whole thing if her family stayed nearby."

"Wait, you're not going to leave me here to deal with this, are you?" Blake refuted as she tried to grasp hold of the key, and not lose her grip on Yang. "Where are you going?"

"Today has been a very dark, difficult, day. We all have places we need to be, you have yours, and I have mine." Glynda told her. "I hope you understand."


	7. Chapter 7

When Glynda returned to the rooms she shared with Ozpin, he was already in bed reading. He lifted his gaze from his book, smooth and calm. "I thought you might spend the night elsewhere, I wasn't expecting you back so soon." He replied softly, though the joy in his voice conveyed his happiness to see her.

"I'm sure that it's not easy watching the woman you love be coveted by another." Glynda told him. "Whatever might have happened, it would have been my priority to return to my own bed. I don't make such statements idly."

"Yes, well, in terms of priority as of right now-"

"I know you don't believe me, Ozpin, but you are a foolish person sometimes." Glynda interrupted. "You are, now and forever, my priority."

"I see." He said, placing a silver bookmark on his page, and set his nightly reading aside. "I'm sorry for thinking otherwise then."

She began to undress in front of him, allowing his eyes to wander her form as she let her long hair fall from its tightly kept bun. "Yet, you don't mean that, either. You do think otherwise, though. Freely, and more often than not. You always put others first, especially those with the qualities that Ruby Rose keeps at her disposal."

"This is a problem?"

"I don't blame you for doubting my intentions, but, I do worry when you don't doubt them at all." Glynda said with a nod, that little fracture in her otherwise perfect appearance appealing to him, and she knew it. "Especially while understanding that I would have indeed done something with her that might be considered unfaithfulness."

He chuckled at that. Ozpin had several lovers over the many lifetimes he had the luxury to live. Each life he had been a man, and although some of those lives had lived longer than others, he had a rich history, one she would never have. "Glynda, I know you would never betray me. You would never intentionally hurt me, especially not in this circumstance."

"I am concerned, though…" She said. "Oz, I…I realize it was simply stimuli, but when she kissed me, I enjoyed it. It wasn't a chore, or a mission, at least not in the capacity that I'm used to. That I liked the feeling of her touch at all…that is a betrayal. A little jealously would be acceptable, even somewhat expected."

"I do not see it that way." Ozpin turned down the sheets, showing his own nakedness, and the hints of arousal beginning to stir within him. He grabbed his still too soft length, firmly coaxing it to life as he watched the woman in front of him. Awed entirely by her devotion. Not all people were so faithful, and he truly cherished her desire to be so. He also found her inward battle with curiosity arousing in and of itself.

"I am old, Glynda, dusty, worn out. I know exactly what to say to bring a woman to my bed, and what to say to keep her there." He looked down at himself, and then back up at her. "The years have not been kind to me…but you…" He swallowed hard. "You are more to me than you will ever know." And that wasn't a lie. "I do not deserve you, Glynda. I have done too much harm, and not enough good. It is impossible for you to betray me…if anything, I'm the betrayer, and I know this well."

He truly believed that, too, and that's what hurt Glynda the most. She knew her life was fleeting compared to his. One day her death would rip her away from him, and once again he would be alone. The inevitable day would come sooner than either of them would want, even if Glynda lived into old age. Ozpin would eventually live anew. One day, he would lay his love for her to rest, and find a new person to love.

Fate for him was just that cruel, and when she got right down to it, she really just was another notch in his belt.

"I don't care about the future." She said, and she didn't. She couldn't stand the thought of him living on forever all alone. It was unreasonable, and she would never wish him such torture. "I don't care that I'm just a passing dalliance to you….I don't care that one day, you'll find another. Not a day goes by that I don't pray that you do…but, Ozpin, you are my world. You are my one, and my only. You mean so much to me, and so yes, it bothers me that you aren't jealous. I kissed another, I was willing to sleep with another…I can't imagine the thought isn't painful to you."

He seemed to consider this before he shrugged. "The reasons are not the same as infidelity, and you know that. Even if it were, my thoughts on the matter would not change." One hand outstretched, he invited her into his arms. "It's painful to see you so upset. I do not wish to see that, so please, come to me. Instead of doubting yourself, allow me to have you…to love you as only I can. Please, allow me that all too precious gift…"

* * *

Ruby's mouth felt dry, her heart felt squeezed by the coldness in her chest. It was easy to see why people liked romance so much. It was different than masturbating, more fulfilling in a way, to be touched by another. It was also an unsettling thing, to want to take so much time and attention from another. As she ate her breakfast, she tried to categorize her feelings. There was something about the way he sipped his coffee, the way he looked over classroom assignments, even the way he munched idly on a piece of toast and jam.

The crumbs clung to his stubble, and without thinking, she reached up to brush them away with her thumb. Though he leaned into her touched slightly in acknowledgement, she wanted him to look up at her. To see her, and reflect her thoughts and desires like a mirror, as if then she might have some clarity.

"Bart?" She voiced uneasily, looking at him earnestly when his eyes met hers. "Do you think what we're doing is wrong?"

He looked away instantly at the question. "I'm not entirely sure." He replied hesitantly before returning his gaze to hers. "I do think that you could be right though. The lines of right and wrong become blurry in cases like this. I do believe that this is a circumstantial situation. I don't expect it to last, and I would never force you to continue if you wished to stop. Therefore, I don't believe it is inherently wrong by nature."

"My aura's coming back." Ruby said. "I can feel it, but, there's something else, too." She felt the warm twinges of it trying to flair out, and failing to do so. The same sort of twinges she felt whenever it had been shattered completely and in need of repair. It was, for most in their line of work, a somewhat common thing to have a broken aura. She felt a residual darkness there too, though. It wasn't part of her aura. It seemed to keep flaring as well, as though the darkness was swallowing her aura up. "I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Give it time, Ruby." He said then, returning to his work.

"Even if my aura comes back, I don't want to stop." She said, the conclusion had been a very difficult one to come to. "I'm not sure if we should keep going, but stopping isn't something I want to do, either."

Oobleck dropped his paperwork, a corner of it plopping into his coffee mug, the rest of it tipping over, and he was too distracted to care as it wetly spilled over the end table and onto the carpet below. He would have to play to have it cleaned later. That little detail rang on in his mind, only to be stomped aside. He had to have been hearing things. "I beg your pardon?"

"I don't want to stop being with you." She repeated with a shrug, though now, her confidence was dwindling. "I don't know what love is, I've never experienced it, so I can't blame my feelings on that. I like you as a person, though. I've always looked up to you. I really like what we've been doing, and I don't want to stop…if anything, I think…maybe I want more."

The green haired man pulled off his glasses, setting them aside as he rubbed his eyes. "You…"

"I was thinking actually dating, or maybe something close to that." Ruby turned away again shyly, unsure if what she wanted was even fair. "If you don't want to, just say so. I'll understand."

"I'm afraid the ramifications are much more complex than that." He replied, his mind screeching to a halt as he looked at her. "I…I don't think that you realize exactly what you're asking of me…or what you're asking of yourself. I…we…our jobs…" He took a breath, his mind speeding up without his mouth, eloquence failing him. Then he shook his head more violently. "Ruby, you couldn't possibly…" He cut himself off yet again. "Or rather…you could, couldn't you?"

Seeing the cogs turning in his mind would have been funny if it had been any other time. In this moment, Ruby couldn't find amusement in his flustered state. Instead she sighed and said nothing. If he didn't want to be with her, there was nothing more on the topic to say. Another flare of her aura melted away to the inky darkness again. "I could." She croaked out, feeling all the worse for admitting it.

"Alright." He said as he scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. He doubted it would be a comfort. Still, he had to do something. "Alright." He breathed again, this time, softer. "If you want me, you'll have me." He said, leaving his intentions as strictly that.

* * *

Summer Rose, was highly regarded to those that knew her. However, as a student of Beacon, she was known as a demon of vengeance and utilitarian calculation. At first, she was the sort of woman that caught the attention of many. It was because she was such a deadly, dangerous force to reckon with.

Bartholomew Oobleck recalled her alluring disposition. She was an intellectual, but, not when it came to books. Her knowledge came from people, and the world in which she lived. She was one of the few who could stand toe to toe with Ozpin and speak her mind on social matters, expecting to be listened to. She wasn't one to bark orders, but she wasn't one to sit idly by and watch wrongdoings, either.

Summer Rose, born with silver eyes, had been raised to be nothing more than a killer of Grimm. Her training worked so well, in fact, that she had no idea how to deal with other people. At lease, not at first. Her actions were almost too cruel, easily misunderstood as a craving for malcontent and hate. It wasn't the truth, but that was what many assumed of her.

Over time, and due in large part to her team, and her deep desire to understand humanity, her demeanor gentled.

Eventually, Summer Rose thrived on the attention she had so long sought, but was never given. Still, even when she became friendly to people, Summer had been raised with bloodlust when it came to the Grimm. A seething hunger to destroy the beasts, even gaining a sense of pleasure in doing so. This was what made mother and daughter so vastly different.

Ruby was a different soul entirely. Easier to provoke into action, more prone to emotional outbursts. She was more willing to hide in a corner shyly, and less willing to draw attention to herself in large crowds. Where Summer Rose tried to make a spectacle of herself, Ruby Rose tended to only do so on accident. They were both warriors, the thrill of the hunt called to them, but even in this, they were different like night and day.

Summer Rose was born and raised to be a silver eyed warrior. A murderer of Grimm, a slayer of the evils in the world. Ruby Rose was born and raised to be a huntress. Although both upbringings would eventually lead down the same path, one was ultimately kinder and gentler than the other, and this reflected the adults both women had eventually became.

Summer had always wanted a happy life for the children she raised. She had hoped that Ruby would never know the ways of the Grimm. That silver eyed child or not, she would never bring it upon herself to learn to do battle with Grimm. She wanted Yang to know the innocence that Raven had never been given the chance to know, the childhood never offered.

Oobleck knew this. Hell, all of them knew this.

He still remembered the bellowing going on in Ozpin's office the very day Summer told the headmaster to keep away from her daughter and step-daughter. She made it abundantly clear that the Beacon faculty were very unwelcome anywhere near the household. She promised death to anyone who might try and take Ruby away, or force her into the same grueling training that Summer herself had endured. She would have killed anyone that came between her and her family, and Ozpin knowing this, quietly and grudgingly agreed not to trifle with Ruby Rose.

However, Summer was not immortal, and she eventually passed on. As many of the warriors tended to do, falling in battle with the very same creatures they were destined to do battle with. It was a shock to all of them, Ozpin most of all, because he knew well just what sort of power Summer had at her disposal. What power lay dormant inside of Ruby too, but in Summer's death, he had honored her word.

He didn't approach Ruby, and life quietly moved forward as it was intended.

Ruby, however, had her heart set on being a huntress. So, it was with guilty souls that they had honed her skill without telling her the truth. That Summer Rose, if she saw Ruby now, would be very displeased. Summer wanted better for Ruby, and for Yang. No one had the heart to speak the truth. No one wanted to tell them just how much Summer Rose would disapprove of them.

So, Yang and Ruby became huntresses, and that was merely the way it was going to be.

The man sighed deeply as he watched Ruby rest in bed, feeling his soul ache. Oobleck wanted to believe that wasn't a grave mistake…but now, Ruby asked of him an even greater sin. She was, in her own way, asking for his very heart and soul on a silver platter. He doubted he would be strong enough to deny her this, because he also knew that Ruby was a better woman than her mother had ever been.

Taught to love, instead of hate. To save, instead of destroy. To keep, instead of abandon…taught all of these lessons and more by the woman who learned them far too late in her own life for it to make a difference.

The young woman cuddled deeper into his arms, and the full weight of such a simple action mystified him. She wanted this. She wanted him, and truth be told, he had no idea what in the world to do with that information. Although, he supposed, he should probably tell Taiyang, and that was not a conversation he was looking forward to having.

Not in the slightest.


	8. Chapter 8

What was she supposed to say to her sister? Her father? Everyone else?

She didn't want to be a disappointment. Feeling her chest tighten at the thought of being under such scrutiny, she released a harsh breath. They weren't judgmental people. Her family loved her…her team would understand. Knowing her independent ways as they did, they would keep the worst of what they thought to themselves, and knowing that wasn't encouraging.

She lifted herself from the bed, and padded over to the connected bathroom, running hot water and sinking herself into the bath.

She looked down at her body, he left no marks, no indication that he had even touched her, but Ruby knew he was being careful. All hunters had a harder edge to them. Something buried deep and dormant. She could feel it in him too. She just didn't think it wise to ask him about it. Maybe one day, she would find the courage. For now, she just needed to take every day as it came to her.

This day, would not be a pleasant one.

She took her time washing and even longer getting dressed. She hoped if it took her long enough, the day would just pass her by, but at ten in the morning she was starting to get hungry. She could feel her head begin to ache, her aura fight to activate as something sucked it dry, consuming it. Her aura would fight back, of course, trying to repair itself. Ruby could tell, it still wasn't strong enough to do so on its own. Not yet, but, maybe soon.

If she stayed locked up in the room all day by herself, she would go crazy.

She reached for her scroll, dialing a number she knew by heart. It was a silly thing to do since her sister was on speed dial, but an old truth echoed in her soul. Ruby excelled as wasting time, or so Weiss often complained. It wasn't nearly enough time though, Ruby realized, when the other end began to ring. It would be any moment before Yang would pick up, and Ruby dreaded it when Yang did.

"Ruby?"

"…"

"Hello?"

"…"

"Ruby, are you there?"

"…"

There was a momentary pause, and then a curse before Yang shuffled the scroll in her grasp. "Blake, go get help. Somethings wrong, she's not answering me."

"I'm right here Yang."

"Ruby, thank god! Never mind Blake, I've got her." More shuffling and Yang spoke more clearly. "You are okay, aren't you?"

"I guess that depends…" Ruby replied, not wanting to admit to her foul mood. "I'm not the best, but I've been worse, I guess."

"Goodwitch told me…" Yang trailed off then. "If you need help, I'm here… Blake too, we're here to help you in any way we can."

"You should probably keep your distance."

"I'm worried about you. I don't want to keep my distance."

"Ruby rolled her eyes. She knew her sister would fight her on the matter. It's why she procrastinated as long as possible. "That's great and all, but you need to stay away."

"Look, you just need my aura, right? I can-"

"I'm not completely in control!" Ruby interrupted. "Yang I don't want you to get caught up in this…I don't want to mess something up."

"I don't care about any of that…"

Ruby's breath rattled against the receiver as she forcefully released it. "I can't trust myself, and if I can't, then there's no way you should trust me." She rubbed at her face, scrubbing away the emotional fatigue. "I don't want to fight about this. It's not a big deal anyway, only a matter of time, and everything will go back to normal. I just need to wait this out. Don't worry so much about me."

"Ruby, stop doing this to yourself, there's no point. I know your trying to put on a brave face. You forget the most important thing. I'm your sister, I'm already in this. I got tangled up as soon as something happened to you. We're family, that's how it goes." Then, with a somewhat strained laugh, Yang continued. "If you don't want to let me in, I can just break the door down. You know I will, I've smashed down doors for less. Nothing here in Beacon can hold me back for long."

"If you did that, you'd get into trouble."

"Worth it."

"Yang!"

"Come on, Ruby, do you really wanna keep me away? After everything, you can't trust me with this?"

"I don't trust myself, that's different."

"Not to me." Yang protested. "I'm still bigger and stronger than you are. Keeping me away is like saying you can't trust me to look after you and keep you safe. You might not be a kid anymore, but if family can't look out for each other, then who can we really depend on? If our positions were flipped right now, you'd say the same thing, and you know it."

Ruby was quiet for a while before she relented. "I think the door is unlocked. I don't remember if Bart thought to lock it. He's absentminded about little things like that."

"He's Bart now, is he?" Yang asked teasingly.

Ruby hung up.

There was no way to answer that. At least, not over the scroll, not with her sister leaning between being over protective, or overly supportive. It was a coin toss really, and Ruby wasn't sure what would actually be worse. Her hearing wasn't as good as Blake's but she knew to pay attention to the smallest sound, and so when she heard the door across the hall open and close, and listened for the footfalls she knew would follow.

Hands perched in her lap, she waited for the longest few seconds in her life. She had felt the strange feeling of time standing still before, but none of those times had assaulted her with a level head. The heat of battle, that was different. She could fall back into her training to save her in those all too crucial moments. She could always count on her instinct and natural ability. There was no training for this.

It seemed like forever before Yang opened the door, stepping through, Blake following closely behind. Ruby didn't know what she expected to see when she looked up to see her sister's gaze, but she felt an unresolved sense of same when her sister came to stand by the bedside. The small trash can by the side of the ben held all of the evidence needed to thwart any and all denial, so Ruby didn't even try. She just looked away again, feeling the pounding in her head begin again.

"Geeze, Ruby…" Yang sighed, feeling herself come up short. After all, she had no way of knowing the intimate details of Ruby's life. The younger woman was an adult, able to make her own choices, and Yang mostly steered clear of things that weren't hers to know.

"You should have told us." Blake said, stepping forward, placing a hand on Yang's shoulder knowingly. "We're huntresses too, we know what it's like out there. You can't always expect to come back unscathed. Shutting us out doesn't do us any of us any good."

"You don't understand-"

"Because you won't let us!" Blake barked over Ruby's protest, her ears flattening back as she put her hand to her face. "We're a team, family even. If you can't tell us, then what kind of credit is that? Don't want to tell me? Fine, but Yang's your sister, and you owe her better than that…" Blake shook her head.

"I don't even know where to begin." Ruby murmured.

At this, Yang licked her lips, wondering if she truly wanted to know. At the end of the day, Ruby seemed alright, more or less okay. It was better than she could have hoped for, and she wondered if she should take comfort in that. "I think that the beginning might be a good place to start."

* * *

So, Ruby told the story, recounting the mission and where it went wrong. Admitting that there were foggy bits of memory, moments she just couldn't completely explain. She glossed over the aftermath, brushing it away for what it was. Skimming over the lewd details of her first sexual act ever. Momentarily, she lingered over the fact that she had spent the night in the arms of a man who she truly respected, and now wanted more from him. She wondered aloud if that was a good thing, but during that time, she couldn't bring herself to look at Yang.

She could feel the heat of the woman, her aura and that nagging feeling she had come to know started up. The monstrous hunger beneath the surface of her skin, the touch of thousands of Grimm boiling in her blood, their desires and bloodlust the same as hers. The need to take what she so craved drilled into her head as she finished her sordid musings. "So, it just gets to that point where I just need Aura…and when that fails, and I'm stuck in my own head. It's like I'm forgetting what it's like to be human. At least whenever I'm with him…I feel like it'll all just go away. Like it's a phase, nothing else."

"And the need to consume another's aura is persistent, I assume? As in, it's happening right now?" Blake asked.

"Yes. It's always there, sometimes worse than others." Ruby shrugged. "I don't know if that'll ever go away."

"The headmaster seems to think so." Yang said reassuringly. "You can rely on me. I have a lot of aura."

""No, Yang, don't. That just makes me hungry for other things." Ruby said with a shake of her head.

"Huh?" Then it dawned on Yang. "Oh…yeah, um...right."

"I'll be fine, sis." Ruby said, but she wasn't sure if she was trying to convince her sister, or herself. "Bart will be back soon. I just have to wait out the day."

There was an awful silence at the mention of his name again, and Ruby looked to the side, catching a glimpse of something on her older sister's face. She wasn't sure what exactly resided there, the emotion wasn't one she had ever quite come across. "If it's all in good fun, then I guess its fine." Yang said, but she could tell that wasn't the case. She knew, and she wasn't sure she was entirely okay with it. "Just do me a favor, try not to get attached too fast…you do that, then I promise I'll try not to murder him if it doesn't work out."


	9. Chapter 9

Keeping Ruby's temperament even was paramount, and Oobleck knew this, but as he went about his day to the letter, he was also busy thinking. Truthfully, he was always thinking, perhaps a bit too much. His mind worked over problems and solutions, grasping at the large picture and breaking it down into smaller parts. When it came to important matters, he was as sharp as a tack. However, when it came to the smaller, less important things in his life, he often lost track of time.

He mulled over his current plight, twiddling his spoon in his stew.

It wasn't the best meal he had ever eaten, but it was far from the worst. No, that meal came courtesy of a mission that had kept him busy in his youth. He was just a school boy himself at the time, and none of his team could cook. He could recall Port's laugh over the matter, jovially prattling on about nonsense as he instructed them on how to properly hunt Grimm for capture, instead of to kill. It was the first real try he had been given at studying Grimm in the wild.

He had kept his old notebook, those first few scribbles across the page cultivating him into the man he was today.

He was an accomplished huntsman, no doubt, but he felt himself a coward when he stood in the shadows of his peers. He didn't have nearly the accomplishments under his belt that they had, and he wasn't fond of missions for the sake of extermination either. He fought Grimm when he had to, without hesitation, but to think himself on equal footing with his coworkers would have been an insult to the people he called friends.

Bitterly, he considered that it some ways, it was even an insults to the students in his class room.

He had put in his time and effort, sure, but he rarely put down his life. He valued it too much, and clung to his ponderings and study of Grimm as his true crowning achievement. One, that if he were honest, he would continue to cling onto until his very last breath. Yet, he knew the truth. His degrees were not as impressive as he liked to spout, and although his expertise allowed him to be perfect for some missions, he refused to take others on principle.

It just proved how much a coward he could be.

"I doubt glaring daggers into your meal will force it to taste any better." Professor Port chuckled, sitting down to his own lunch, something that he had prepared himself. "So, what is it you're thinking about today? Have you finally figured out the best way to upgrade your weapon?"

"Afraid not." The green haired man said. "I've got other matters on my mind, none of them having to do with any upcoming missions."

"Hrmm." It was with this that the pudgy older man reached for a packet of pepper, seasoning the piece of prepared steak in front of him. "Well, that's odd, very odd in fact, when it comes to you."

"Trust me, I know." Oobleck lifted another spoonful to his lips. He wasn't very hungry, but he had been trained to eat at least a little something no matter what. There were time he had recalled going without. He cleared his throat. He respected Port's opinion greatly on many subjects, and decided that his current musings would prove difficult without at least a bit of clarity. "Peter, tell me something. When a particularly kindred huntress crosses your path, what do you do?"

"Ah, well let's see. A kindred huntress, you say…" He stroked the white mustache on his upper lip thoughtfully. "Well now, I suppose that depends, now doesn't it?"

"Surely you have a tale or two to tell about such times."

"Every hunter my age has an exploit or two. Grandiose ones at that, several of which that should likely never be spoken of." He said seriously. "However, what you must remember, is that most exploits are certainly only that. Huntresses aren't keen to settle down, and when they do, well, let's just say they're looking for a man with a much more stable career. One that guarantees that they'll be coming home."

The younger man deflated openly at the statement. "I thought so."

"Has such a woman crossed your path?"

"A little more than that." Oobleck replied honestly. "More than the passing fancy one might come across in the pubs, anyway. Theorize however, if you would, that this huntress is obviously interested in something a little bit more substantial. Also presume she is much younger than the usual conquest I might come across, and that past affiliations also complicate the matter."

Peter Port seemed to think on this, taking the conversation to heart. His fingers drummed heavily on the table for a few moments, finally he took a breath. "Well then, you mean to imply that this huntress is a former student of yours?"

"Yes." Bartholomew nodded. "Strictly that."

"I regret to tell you that such an outcome would likely be inevitable." The man said earnestly. "There aren't many schools dedicated to slaying Grimm. Those that do cover the subject are also far better off schooling their youths differently. This is why we work so closely with the other kingdoms in the first place." At this he paused, cutting off a sliver of his meal and tasting it before seasoning it with even more black pepper. "That is to say, a student intending to be a huntress, and _only_ a huntress, would only consider coming to Beacon Academy."

"I didn't think of it that way." the younger man sighed.

"There is nothing to think of." Peter said earnestly. "She's a fully licensed huntress is she not?"

"Yes, she is that."

"Then she is no longer your concern." Then, Peter's voice lowered to something a little distance, perhaps even sad. "Barty, listen, our profession is a cold one with very little to offer. It's a thankless, lonely reality. We choose to live this life because it suits us, but sometimes that alone is not enough. If this young woman is a huntress as you say, she probably knows that all too well. If you two care deeply for each other, it would be a tragedy to deny yourselves the luxury of happiness. Such a thing is a gift, and it comes along too rarely these days."

"You're right about that." Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he looked down at the remains of his meal. He couldn't manage another bite even if he tried. The faculty lounge wasn't where he wanted to be in this moment, far from it, in fact. "I should probably return to her side very soon. She's waiting for me."

"Right, right…go on then." Port chuckled again, waving him off. "Mustn't keep a lady waiting."

* * *

He returned to her dwellings, afraid of what he might find after leaving her alone all day long to tend to his work. A breath he didn't know he was holding escaped his lips as he found her looking up at the television screen, watching a documentary on Grimm, stuffing a few bits of popcorn into her mouth lazily. She waved at him, taking a swig of some carbonated beverage before scooching over on the bed. Surrounding her were several empty boxes of cookies, what looked to be a bakery cake, and several empty bottles of soda.

"Sugar is no replacement for Aura." Ruby said to him, seeing his confused appearance. "Trust me, I've tried."

"I wouldn't believe so." Absently, he reminded himself that Ruby thrived on confections, never to willingly go without them for long. It was long since rumored she carried a cookie tin much like her uncle carried a flask. It had never been proven, but he felt as if the image in front of him implied it. "Allow me to give you some of mine, then." He said, as he began pouring his aura into her, watching the young woman melt in contentment under the influence of an aura as warm as his own.

Her eyes glazed over as she watched the television, several long moments of silence blanketing the room. She had managed not to lose herself today, but she had to admit, she was craving aura like a fiend, and he was willingly providing it. There was no greater way to earn her attention as she cuddled into him. "You know, these shows really aren't very accurate." She said.

The observation causing him to smirk as he glanced at the logo in the bottom corner of the screen.

"The media chooses to show Grimm in such a way so that it doesn't frighten viewers." He said, looking at the baby nevermore flapping its wings on the screen. He kicked off his shoes and took off his tie, reclining back to regard the program. "Funnily enough, you only see the garden and forest variety Grimm on shows such as this. A nevermore roosting in a barn would never grow to the size of one constantly migrating. One farmstead simply doesn't have enough malcontent to attract larger Grimm."

"If they were so harmless, we'd keep them in zoos." Ruby lamented offhandedly. "I'm just waiting for that nevermore to bite that guy's finger. With the way he keeps poking at it, it's only a matter of time. I bet you they cut that part out, though."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first person to showcase the idiocy of provoking a Grimm on screen." He said jovially. He watched the program for a few moments more. "There is a sense of twisted glee watching these sorts of shows. As a scholar, I weep at this poorly handled information, as a consumer of the media itself, I'm baffled. Not even a novice would make such obvious mistakes. I sometimes wonder if the Grimm on these shows aren't raised by hand."

"Raised by hand or not, you poke anything the way he is, you're going to lose that appendage." Ruby said dryly. "That's probably why this stuff is so popular with actual hunters. The cynicism of it all, coupled with the fact that no one could possibly be this stupid...no one…"

Bartholomew laughed at that. "I suppose you could be right."

She was in no condition to walk freely around the streets of Vale right now, but the idea of dating implied doing more than simply sharing the sexual aspect of a relationship. He weighed his options, trying to think of what would be best. He was still, to this day, a disaster in the kitchen. Cooking for her was out of the question. There were several eateries he knew of that delivered to Beacon, so long as those that ordered paid a hefty delivery charge for the trouble. He knew his wallet was thin though, having just purchased several expensive items for study only a week prior. While he doubted she was at all picky, he had no desire to pull a meal ready to eat out of the cupboard.

"Yang came by today."

The words were enough to shoot his thoughts out of his mind entirely.

"She did?" He asked, wondering if he should fear for his life. Yang Xiao Long was not a woman to trifle with once someone had earned her ire. "I hope the visit went well."

"It went okay." Ruby said then. "It was tense, and Yang was uncomfortable. Oh, I should probably warn you, she knows, by the way…"

"I suspected as much." He replied earnestly, his voice dry as he considered his options on the matter. "Is she particularly displeased?"

"Well, don't go anyplace unarmed. She'll probably jump you just to have a good spar, but no, she's not mad." Ruby sighed then. "Kind of wished she was. It's easier to deal with her blowing up and losing her temper than it is smelling booze on her breath and knowing it wasn't from some sort of party or something. I can't even reassure her about anything we talked about. Yang doesn't like unknowns unless she has some kind of control, but she doesn't. No one does, and that really freaks her out."

"I can understand that." He felt the weight of such trouble often enough himself. "Ruby…" He bit his lip. There were things he simply had to do, and he had no proper way to do such tasks. "About the context of our relationship moving forward, I was thinking quite deeply on the subject. If we are to be dating, if that is something you feel very certain about, then we should discuss what to do about your relatives."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I still haven't figured out a way to tell your father."

"Oh, that'll be easy. We'll do it the same way we handle any major discussion in the family." Ruby said as she stretched out across the bed, her back popping several times. "Just drop it on him like a sack of potatoes. He'll either go ballistic, get drunk, start moping around, or some hellacious combination of the three. If I were you, I'd be more paranoid about Yang, she's the one that can literally catch fire."


	10. Chapter 10

Yang let a week go by, watching out for her little sister when and where she could. She took what little insight she could from Ruby's strange relationship and applied it to common sense. It wasn't conventional, it wasn't even what she might think of as stable, but it seemed to make Ruby happy. Her shattered aura had begun to mend, and the complaints of feeling the Grimm under her skin began to lessen as well. Ruby had even began to tinker around with her beloved weapon once more.

That's why Yang half expected Ruby to drop this notion of romance. To put the idea aside and start training for hunts and missions again.

It was a cynical assumption, sure, but not without its own merits. After all, Ruby's desire to be a huntress had always won out over everything else before, even her love of cookies. Her training had taken her far, and her insistence to better herself made even Weiss cringe when it came to Ruby's overzealous regime. Time had taught the youngest among them that no matter how skilled she was, it was not enough. A lot of luck and planning went into a successful mission as well. Ruby always demanded success when and where possible. Her combat drills and planning meetings, Ruby had long since determined, were merely means to an end.

So, understandably, Yang was baffled when what stood in front of her proved to be vastly different.

Greeting her was a fairly domesticated Ruby Rose. The woman humming out of tune as she stirred the soup cooking on the stove in the faculty kitchen. While it was true the girl was no master chief, she knew her way around cooking with a single pot. She sang messy lyrics idly as she dropped freshly chopped herbs into the mix, turning down the flame so that the contents didn't burn. The one pot creation was almost complete.

"You're being oddly domestic." Yang commented as she watched Ruby work.

"I don't really know what you mean by that."

"What I mean is, you hate cooking. Meals ready to eat are what you normally deal with when it's only you."

"Bart needs to eat too." Ruby spoke, saying the name that made Yang's flesh crawl. "I doubt he wants to get the garbage in the cafeteria. Nobody really wants to eat that stuff. I know how to throw a meal together, so I thought, why not?"

"See?" Yang said slowly, trying to forget just who Ruby was doing this for. "Domestic." Frankly, she knew Ruby liked to look after people, she'd been raised to show kindness and care for others. It was simply the way Ruby was showing it that bothered Yang. It was just so different, so unlike Ruby's usual overtures. "If I didn't know your attitude as well as I do, I'd think this new boyfriend of yours has twisted your head into some new sexist regime…"

"Huh?"

"Oh, you know, crazy stuff, like women only belong in the household...that kind of nonsense."

"Ew, don't be weird, Yang." Ruby cringed, scrunching her nose in disgust of that thought.

"I'm not being weird, I'm being worried."

"Weird." Ruby protested, giving her sister a long look of mild aggravation. "You do this same kind of thing for Blake all the time."

"I do a lot of things for Blake. She takes care of me too, you know. That's what you do when you're in a relationship that's lasted as long as ours. You take care of each other." Yang stood up then, looking into the large pot. Seeing the soup come together, the spices and vegetables smelling amazing combined in the stock. Reaching for a spoon, she dipped it into the broth. It tasted a little salty, but she had to admit, it had a good flavor overall. "Hey, that's actually not too bad."

"I would hope not. I make it all the time over the fire." Ruby snatched the spoon from Yang before the blonde could steal another bite, putting the lid over the pot to keep it simmering. "So, outside of eyeing me like I'm about to go crazy, why are you here? Did Blake throw you out so that she could read again? I get the feeling you were annoying her or something."

"Well, she got a new book, so I thought I'd give her the space to read it without her having to ask. Besides, without me here, you wouldn't be allowed to roam around on your own right now." She flicked Ruby hard on the nose, watching as her sister recoiled from the impact. The glare that followed was hilarious, but she refrained from laughing. "I'm here waiting for that boyfriend of yours to come around so that I can have a little chat with him. Speaking of, where is he?"

"Do I look like his keeper?" Ruby asked with a sigh. "Yang, he's around here somewhere, he works and lives here. It's not like he just flies off to Vale whenever he feels like it. He has classes to teach, and research to do. He's probably hunched over some new field reports or something."

"Soo, can I punch him and see how far he flies?"

Ruby lifted her eyebrow, she knew she should have expected the question. The way that Yang asked meaning that she was probably just bored and looking for a way to pass the time. Ruby wasn't entirely keen on seeing what kind of havoc her sister could accomplish. The answer to her was clear and crystal. "No."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"If you do that, and he retaliates, we will have to explain why everything's either on fire, or covered in coffee three times hotter than the boiling point of water."

"Eh, Goodwitch can clean it up."

"Yang, I swear, I will buzz you bald in your sleep…"

"Geeze! No need to get hostile." Yang paled, absently leaning over to peep into the black paper bag sitting on the counter. "I was just playing around…uh, Ruby, is this what I think it is?"

Reaching out, Ruby grabbed the bag from the lingerie store that had been delivered that afternoon. Her current few pairs were bland. White, grey, and a couple of pairs of black, but they weren't shapely, or even flattering on her form. Functionality in combat superseding any need to look attractive. She couldn't deny that such cloth made her want to strip herself naked quicker, if only so that they were out of sight. So, she picked something a little more flattering, but it was hardly risqué be any means. "It's exactly what you think it is."

"Wow…"

"Don't give me that look!"

"Woah, easy there, no need to freak out." Yang sighed dismissively. "I was just surprised. You know, believe it or not, I'm still trying to adjust to this new side of you."

"That part of the problem." Ruby grumbled, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. "We talk about everything with each other, but, this is something that I really don't want to explain the details of. It's personal, and if you don't mind, I'd rather not have to deal with you sticking your nose into it."

"Alright, fine I'll lay off." Yang said, leaning heavily on the counter top. "It's not like I actually want all of the little details anyway…thinking of you doing that kind of thing…" Yang trailed off, looking at the black paper back for an extended period of time. "Yeah, uh, not going to lie. It kind of grosses me out."

"How do you think I felt every time you forgot to put a sock on the door when we were in school?" Ruby shot back, her focus turned back onto her cooking. "We're sisters, thinking of each other's private time like that should be disgusting."

"Alright, I got the message." Yang grinned as she backed away, grabbing her bike helmet and her keys. "Just one thing though, are you actually sticking around here, or are you coming back home?"

Ruby merely shot Yang an exasperated look. "I guess that depends, Yang. Think you can handle seeing a sock on _my_ door for a change?"

"Yeah, ya know what…no comment. I need to pick up some things from the store before I head back to the apartment. Call me if you need anything."

Ruby nodded. "I will."

* * *

Yang eventually relented heading back to her apartment with her mind flitting around the topics that concerned her. She tossed her helmet lightly onto the beanbag chair by the door, the gaudy thing in poor taste with the rest of the décor. On the other side of the room, curled up exactly where Yang had left her, was Blake, nose plastered to the new book she'd gotten herself.

The blonde rolled her eyes, chuckling at the fact that Blake reached for her mug only to find it empty and set it bad down again. If she knew her girlfriend as well as she thought she did, Blake had likely made that same gesture several times without really noticing.

Fetching the coffee pot was the kindest thing she could do, padding around the kitchen as quietly as possible before returning to full up Blake's mug. The sound of the warm liquid hitting the mug pulled Blake from the words splashed across the page. Ears flicking, she looked up at Yang in mild surprise. "Oh, thank you. When did you get in?"

"Just now." Yang said, carrying the pot back into the kitchen. She grabbed a cold soda from the fridge, making her way back to Blake, sitting on the floor and leaning back, smirking when Blake crossed her feet over her belly. "Ruby kicked me out of Beacon. I think I was annoying her."

"Hmm."

Lilac eyes drifted closed when slender fingers made their way into her thick mane of blonde hair. Nails ever so gently dragging along her scalp in an aimless way. Yang loved the feel of it, although very few were granted the privilege of touching her hair. Fewer still had ever indulged her quite in the way that Blake did. Wordlessly repeating the motion over and over again, knowing full well the power at her fingertips.

Yang knew that allowing it was the least she could do, especially sense she had her own mindless fixations about Blake all the time. Blake's ears not withstanding, she had a habit of having wandering hands.

How many times had her fingertips played along smooth legs? Palms caressing up toned thighs only to follow the path higher to grasp the firm backside Blake kept in near perfect condition? To be honest, Yang had lost count years ago, and as she sipped on the cold drink in one hand, she indulged herself with the other. Two fingers walking along the expanse of exposed skin that Blake left intentionally on display.

They sat like that for a long time, quietly amusing themselves in their own ways, the feeling of touch never too sudden to startle the other. Each move slow, full of care.

"Blake…" Yang said hesitantly, her finger turning in the same tight circles over and over. "Do you think things would turn out this way if Ruby hadn't messed up on that mission?"

"I really don't know, Yang." Blake's ear flicked as she closed her book, the muted thud sending a gush of air in just the right upward direction to tickle the fur there. She set it off to the side, careful not to nudge the knickknacks littering the end table. "In some ways, it bothers me. In other ways, I think some part of me always knew that Ruby was lonely. In the end, it's not really our concern, Ruby's not a child, so being as supportive is the only helpful thing we can do."

"I should have gone with her…"

"You can't blame yourself."

"Yeah, I know." Then Yang closed her eyes, Blake's thigh making for an almost perfect pillow. The black haired woman tensed a bit as Yang's breath ghosted along her leg. The action reminiscent of something much more lewd in nature. As soon as Yang settled though, Blake did too, and the Faunus smirked as she felt Yang wordlessly press her lips against her flesh. The action tender as could be, before resting her cheek back upon her favorite pillow. "I want her to be happy. I just didn't think happy would mean some dude way older than she is."

"Try not to think so hard about it." Blake said, resuming the way she toyed with Yang's tresses. "If things don't work out, we'll pick up the pieces."

Yang knew that Blake meant it. As a team, they were compelled to look after each other. It was imperative to them, and that reassurance meant the world to the blonde. She was reluctant to move as the fingers toying in her hair lulled her to sleep, but she wasn't ready to curl up where she was just yet. "So, how's the book? Think it would be something I would be interested in?"

"Well, it's not purple prose, but it's not a fantasy, either. I'm not entirely sure if you would like it or not." Blake said with a laugh, before showing Yang the cover. "It's a murder mystery. There is some romantic intrigue between the detectives, but, it's not the focal point. It's a good read in my opinion, but that doesn't negate the fact that it's slow moving."

"Will you read it to me?" Yang asked softly.

"You just want an excuse to lay around all day."

"Blake, please?" Yang begged. "I'm tired, and stressed, and I just don't want to think about anything."

The cat Faunus sighed good-naturedly as she reached for her scroll. "Go start the shower, and I'll be there in a bit. I'm going to order a pizza, and once it gets here we can have dinner in bed while I read. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect." Yang said, getting up to do just that.


End file.
